Rides at Universal Studios Florida

Disaster! - A Major Motion Picture Ride...Starring YOU ***

Go behind the scenes at Disaster Studios and learn the secrets of disaster films from the "Master of Mayhem" himself, writer/producer/director/studio executive/self-proclaimed genius Frank Kincaid.

Replacing the popular (albeit dated) Earthquake, Disaster still rocks the Richter scale. While the ride itself remains relatively identical to its predecessor, tweaks to the storyline (placing you smack in the middle of filming for Mutha Nature, a fictitious action adventure flick) and updated high-tech special effects add a unique interactive element to the revamped experience. That said, you still climb aboard an underground train, when suddenly an earthquake hits -- and a big one, at 8.3 on the Richter scale! As you sit helplessly trapped, slabs of concrete collapse around you, a propane truck bursts into flames, a runaway train hurtles your way, and the station floods (65,000 gal. of water cascade down the steps). A tongue-in-cheek trailer, created from clips filmed during the ride, caps off the experience. Note: Universal says expectant moms should skip this one.

E.T. Adventure® **** ☺

E.T.'s homeworld, the Green Planet, is dying. Only E.T. has the power to save it... and only YOU can bring him there.

This attraction was one that was personally supervised by Steven Spielberg. You ride on a "bicycle" (complete with ET in the front basket) in an effort to get ET back to the green planet to save his friends.

The plot follows the movie rather well, and attention to detail (both in the queuing area, and on the ride) are superb, if not a bit dated now that it’s been more than 20 years since the film's initial release.

Nonetheless, it remains a popular attraction and the lines can be long. One word of caution though. When you arrive at ET, don't be misled by the line out front. First, you wait outside, you are brought into a holding area to watch a brief film with Steven Spielberg, then you are put into an indoor queuing area. Even though the indoor queuing area is themed perfectly, the wait can be extreme.

Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit® **** C

...Gasping with excitement, you'll rock out to the song YOU pick before strapping in. And, it's all recorded on video. Edit your adventure into a music video, and buy a copy to take home or send to your friends.

It's true high-tech, customizable, multi-sensory entertainment. This groundbreaking combination of audio and special effects engineering, sophisticated on- and off-board video and one-of-a-kind personalization takes you on a coaster experience unlike any other. Orlando's tallest roller coaster also features several exciting, "never been done" elements, including the world's first non-inverting loop.

Jaws ****

A giant fin slices through the waves. Your boat begins rocking back and forth. Suddenly he lunges out of the water... row upon row of razor sharp teeth. Everyone thought he'd been destroyed, but now he's back. And this time, you're in the water WITH him!

As your boat heads into the 7-acre, 5-million-gallon lagoon, a dorsal fin appears on the surface. Then, what goes with the fin -- a 3-ton, 32-foot, mechanical great white shark -- tries to sink its urethane teeth into your hide (or at least your boat's). A 30-foot wall of flame that surrounds the vessel truly causes you to feel the heat in this $45-million attraction. I won't tell you exactly how it ends, but in spite of a captain who can't hit the broad side of a dock with his grenade launcher, some lucky Orlando restaurant will be serving blackened shark tonight. (Tip: The effects of this ride are far more spectacular after dark.) Note: While it lacks a height requirement, the shark may be too intense for some kids younger than age 6, and Universal recommends that expectant mothers avoid it.

MEN IN BLACK™ Alien Attack™ ***** C

All right rookies… this is no drill! It's up to YOU to protect the Earth from aliens in MEN IN BLACK Alien Attack. As an agent trainee, you'll zap aliens as you chase them through the streets of New York in this high-tech, interactive ride based on the hit movies. But be warned... these aliens zap back, spinning your vehicle out of control.

A great ride that sports just how far theme parks will go to put you right in the action. The whole MIB headquarters is recreated here, through rooms, corridors, characters, and that's just the waiting areas! The main attraction lets you take part in a cyberspace battle to shoot aliens that inhabit the streets of New York. The car is in motion and every so often spins to put you off course... What's also cool is that, the ride has many different endings depending on your team's final score. A truly excellent attraction.

Revenge of the Mummy ***** C

The curse is real! The Mummy has arisen...wakened from his centuries-long slumber, the evil Imhotep is once again freed from his wraps, unleashing his wrath on all who dare enter the sacred temple.

Upon entering Universal Studios Florida's Revenge of the Mummy, we find ourselves on the set of the new Mummy movie. Video clips on monitors tell us, through a mock documentary, that despite all the Hollywood magic, there are members of the crew that take the mummy's supposed curse VERY seriously. Many of them wear the symbol of the Med-Jai, the symbol of those warriors that protect 'the Creature' from being found, lest it be raised from the dead. In a video interview shown through Revenge of the Mummy's queue, Mummy star Brendan Fraser dismisses the curse as some hokey nonsense. Deeper into the queue, we finda number of interactive artifacts along the way--items possibly from actual tombs? Perhaps unearthed and brought on the set of the movie to make it look more authentic? Not only does it look like we're wandering through an ancient Egyptian tomb, but it looks as if there may be more to this curse than meets the eye.

A quick jaunt up a flight of stairs brings us to the loading area, where Med-Jai guards take us to our mine carts (the carts seat sixteen guests: four rows, four riders to a row). Two loading stations are available to expedite the loading process.

The Revenge of the Mummy ride takes us through a mummy-infested tomb. We quickly discover that these mummies are tourists who have been recently mummified! As we turn the corner, we find one of the crewmembers wrapped up, trying to warn us that the curse is VERY real, but we realize it's too late as the mummy bursts forth from his sarcophagus.

In the next room, Imhotep's face appears on the wall, and he makes us an offer: Join him and receive vast riches or refuse and face a fate far worse than death. One moment, the room is lit up, full of chests of gold. The next moment, there are flames and six of Imhotep's guards suddenly surround the mine cart. We barely make it out of the chamber, dipping under a heavy stone slab. Suddenly, we've reached a dead end--and the room suddenly begins to fill with flesh-eating scarabs. Then, our mine cart rolls BACKWARDS and down a small hill. We briefly see the symbol of the Med-Jai before Imhotep's grotesque face appears again to taunt us.

Our cart rotates around and the dark ride portion ends and the roller coaster portion begins. With a fierce cry ("You're souls are MINE!"), we are launched into the mouth of the mummy and into complete darkness, chased by evil spirits the entire time.

And just when you think that Revenge of the Mummy is over... it isn't.

Shrek 4-D™ ***

Shrek® and Donkey are back! Join our heroes on an all new adventure that puts you in the story between the Oscar®-winning film "Shrek" and "Shrek 2"

Universal Studios' other (relatively) new ride is a 20-minute show that can be seen, heard, felt, and smelled thanks to film, motion simulators, OgreVision glasses, and other special effects, such as water spritzers. The attraction picks up where the movie left off -- allowing you to join Shrek and Princess Fiona on their honeymoon (at least the G-rated portions of it). After one of the most amusing preshows in the park (featuring a ghostly Lord Farquaad, the Three Little Pigs, Pinocchio, and the Magic Mirror), you're settled into specially designed seats in the main auditorium and then transported to the fairy-tale realm of Duloc as the screen comes alive. The theater's seats are pneumatic air-propulsion nodules that are capable of turning and tilting (though not dramatically). Again, if your kids don't like touchy feely special effects, they may get upset at certain points while experiencing this attraction.

The Simpsons Ride™ **** ☺

Ride along with The Simpsons™ as they visit Krustyland, the low-budget theme park created by famed TV personality and shameless product huckster Krusty the Clown. Is somebody out to sabotage the park? You'll find out as you join Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie and enter through the carnival-like midway.

Universal's Back to the Future ride, suffering from the ravages of time, went the way of the DeLorean and closed its doors for good in 2006. But with Universal real estate at a premium, the Simpsons wasted no time moving in, in 2008. Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie join in on all the fun and excitement, riding along (at top speed, I might add) on a hysterical adventure through a wild and wacky Krusty the Clown-created carnival.

An over-the-top Krustyland exterior gives way to the signature Universal queue hidden inside (an appropriate prelude of what's to come, filled with oversized attraction posters, video screens, and animated elements that hint at its predecessor). Krusty himself makes an appearance, taunting guests before entering the Fun House (okay, it's really just the small waiting area that opens onto the ride). From here, it becomes a bit more familiar as you board one of several elevated cars, each facing the gargantuan screen -- though instead of time travel, you're off on a wild ride through Krustyland. Although a tweak to the motion simulator's mechanics has smoothed out the ride, expect to be bounced around just the same -- the special effects, however, are enough to make you hold on for dear life. The cartoon's creator Matt Groening claims, "the ride is designed to duplicate the Simpsons home-viewing experience, only at high speed and with lots of screaming." He's right!

TWISTER...Ride It Out® ***

what it's like to be a real storm chaser, looking a tornado right in the eye and braving the worst nature can throw at you. Twister...Ride it Out® re-creates all the nail-biting excitement and unforgettable moments from one of the most action-packed movies of all time.

You are first let in to a viewing area where you see a short film featuring Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt. From there, you enter a queuing area made to look like a town that has just been hit by a tornado (again, a brief film plays), then you hear the "warning sirens" that a tornado is coming. You enter the next sound stage which is set up to mock the "drive in" scene from the movie. Slowly, the wind picks up, it begins to rain (you will get a little wet), and things start getting VERY LOUD and VERY INTENSE (I jumped more than once). Again, this can be VERY frightening to young children. You might want to try this attraction yourself before bringing your kids in.

Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster® *** ☺

It’s the nuttiest ride you’ve ever seen! Woody definitely proved he’s got a few screws loose when he designed Woody Woodpecker’s Nuthouse Coaster®, a kid-sized roller coaster that’s still fun for all ages!

This is the top attraction in Woody Woodpecker's KidZone, an 8-acre concession Universal Studios made a while back after being criticized for having too little for young visitors. This ride is a kiddie coaster that will thrill some moms and dads, too. While only 30 feet at its peak, it offers quick, spiraling turns while you sit in a miniature steam train. The ride lasts only 55 seconds, and waits can be 30 minutes or more, but few kids will want to miss it. It's very much like the Barnstormer at Goofy's Wiseacre Farm in the Magic Kingdom.

Attractions at Universal Studios Florida

Lucy - A Tribute ***

Movie and television fans of all ages are sure to enjoy this loving tribute that takes you through the dazzling career of America's queen of comedy, Lucille Ball.

Although the area is relatively small, it is jammed with personal effects, including scripts from "I Love Lucy", costumes, and various other items. A large screen TV in the center of the exhibit provides clips from some of I Love Lucy's most memorable moments. There is also a series of Trivia games that you can play as well.

Curious George Goes to Town ***** ☺

Someone's let all the circus animals out of their trailer and turned the whole town upside down. What has that mischievous monkey gotten himself into this time? We're talking about Curious George® of course, and you can join him on his adventures. Follow George's footsteps as a series of colorful storybooks highlight the pathways and add to the charm that is the Curious George book series.

Curious George Goes to Town, a huge, two-level water play area, lies toward the far end of Woody Woodpecker’s KidZone at Universal Studios Florida®. Kids will love getting soaked here from the variety of water cannons, water buckets and streams of water flying in all directions. Behind the water play area lies the indoor, two-story Ball Factory, which is full of foam balls that can be shot around the room via several “Auto Blasters.”

Note: Guests can spend an unlimited amount of time exploring the Curious George Goes to Town attraction. Don’t forget to bring along extra towels!

Fievel's Playland® **** ☺

Based on one of the most popular animated characters of all time, Fievel's Playland gives you a mouse-eye view of the world of that lovable immigrant from the old country, Fievel Mousekewitz.

Kids can run, jump, climb and bounce through this outdoor playground filled with oversized props from the films An American Tail and Fievel Goes West.

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